Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H4646: An Act enhancing child welfare protections
Status: In committee, July 30, 2026
What the bill says
An Act enhancing child welfare protections. of the same, as follows.
From the introduced text, October 22, 2025:
An Act enhancing child welfare protections. of the same, as follows: SECTION 1. Section 172 of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 133, the words "2A of chapter 38" and inserting in place thereof the following words:- 16 of chapter 18C. SECTION 2. Section 6A of chapter 18B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the fifth paragraph. SECTION 3. Said chapter 18B is hereby further amended by inserting after section 6A the following section:- Section 6B. (a) The commissioner shall, subject to appropriation, establish and maintain an education unit. The education unit shall: (i) implement and oversee the regional and area offices' work on education for children receiving services from the department, consistent with policies created by the department's education director; (ii) monitor student academic progress of children under the care and custody of the area office not less than once per academic quarter; of (iii) provide support and assistance to department social workers regarding educational needs of children; (iv) provide detailed training to department social workers on the best practices to monitor a child's education experiences, recognizing any unavailability of resources preventing a child from participating in school courses and developing individual education plans and plans; (v) …
Sponsors
- Russell Holmes (D, 6th Suffolk)
- Christopher Worrell (D)
- Sean Garballey (D, 23rd Middlesex)
- Thomas Moakley (D)
- Jay Livingstone (D, 8th Suffolk)
Latest actions
- : Reported by H5629
- : Committee of conference appointed (Comerford-Kennedy-O'Connor), in concurrence
- : Senate insisted on its amendment
- : Rules suspended
- : Committee of conference appointed - (Livingstone-Garcia-Sullivan-Almeida)
- : House NON-concurred in the Senate amendment
- : Rules suspended
- : Passed to be engrossed -- see Roll Call #192 (Yeas 39 to Nays 0)
- : Read third
- : Ordered to a third reading
Votes
- Passed to be engrossed (June 11, 2026): 39 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Committee Vote - Senate Committee on Ways and Means (June 4, 2026): 15 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H4646?
- H4646 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act enhancing child welfare protections.
- What does H4646 do?
- In its own words: An Act enhancing child welfare protections. of the same, as follows.
- What is the status of H4646?
- In committee as of July 30, 2026. Latest action: Reported by H5629 (July 30, 2026).
- Who sponsored H4646?
- Russell Holmes (D, 6th Suffolk), with 4 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H4646?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4646
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.